pica_nuttalli
don't be a twit
come on guys, lets give carronann a break about listening the LFS--if you'll read her latest posts, then you'll realize that she's really taking our advice to heart! she needs to get the Ich infestation under control first and then she needs to start worrying about fixing her stocklist. if the small size still bothers you, then just think of her current set-up as a "hospital tank" and think of her potential 4ft set-up as the "main tank that is to come". 
i agree with underwurlde that airstones are unnecessary under normal conditions, but most medications will decrease the solubility of oxygen in a tank and raising the temperature will also decrease the oxygen levels. for this reason, its generally recommended that while medicating and in high temperature tanks, you increase surface agitation. (just a fancy way of saying "add an airstone") once you're done with the whitespot treatment, its really your option whether or not you want to keep the airpump running. if you have a hang-on-the-back (HOB) filter, then you should be fine without any additional agitation but if you run canisters like me, then you might want to put the airstone back into the tank if your fish start to look like they're breathing hard.
an alternative to an airstone that you may want to seriously consider is setting up a sponge filter (there's instructions on how to make your own in the DIY forum). sponge filters provide the same surface benefits as a plain airstone but also help increase the filtration on your tank, which is always pleasent. but they can be a bit bulky and some people don't care for their appearance. i personally think that everyone should have a sponge filter just in storage as part of their "emergency fish medicine kit" because they're great for setting up a quarantine or hospital tank if you have a few days notice. just put the sponge in with your filter media for a day or two to get some bacteria seeded onto it. then set up the sponge filter in a spare 5g bucket with the fish you need to isolate. voila! instant quarantine tank.
i agree with underwurlde that airstones are unnecessary under normal conditions, but most medications will decrease the solubility of oxygen in a tank and raising the temperature will also decrease the oxygen levels. for this reason, its generally recommended that while medicating and in high temperature tanks, you increase surface agitation. (just a fancy way of saying "add an airstone") once you're done with the whitespot treatment, its really your option whether or not you want to keep the airpump running. if you have a hang-on-the-back (HOB) filter, then you should be fine without any additional agitation but if you run canisters like me, then you might want to put the airstone back into the tank if your fish start to look like they're breathing hard.
an alternative to an airstone that you may want to seriously consider is setting up a sponge filter (there's instructions on how to make your own in the DIY forum). sponge filters provide the same surface benefits as a plain airstone but also help increase the filtration on your tank, which is always pleasent. but they can be a bit bulky and some people don't care for their appearance. i personally think that everyone should have a sponge filter just in storage as part of their "emergency fish medicine kit" because they're great for setting up a quarantine or hospital tank if you have a few days notice. just put the sponge in with your filter media for a day or two to get some bacteria seeded onto it. then set up the sponge filter in a spare 5g bucket with the fish you need to isolate. voila! instant quarantine tank.
).
